Catching Butterflies
by edwardlupin
Summary: Non-Magical AU: "Maybe Teddy would enter the room after that, and tell her in his stupid mocking voice, that they had tricked her, and that she was so gullible - how could she have fallen for that? Because Teddy was not dead. He couldn't be. They had just talked to each other this morning; had planned to see each other tonight. People didn't just die like that. Except they did."
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is a Modern Non-Magical AU. I don't own anything besides the plot. Please mind the triggers at the bottom.

"Victoire! Teddy is here!"

Dominique smiled as she heard footsteps from upstairs and then a few thumps indicating that her sister was running down the stairs.

She turned to Teddy who was grinning as well from where he stood on the porch.

He was about to say something to her when suddenly her father appeared at the door as well. Dominique rolled her eyes and quickly vanished with a "Bye Teddy".

Teddy's grin slowly faded and he forced himself to stand up straighter.

"H-hi Uncle Bill."

Bill only nodded. He noticed his eldest daughter approaching them from behind, so he shot the boy in front of him a stern look and growled quietly.

"Bring her back at eleven. No drinking, and no visits at the club."

"As if we've ever been at the club, Dad" Victoire said, appearing next to her father. "Hi, Teddy", she added happily.

Bill still didn't look satisfied.

"Eleven."

"But it's already nine-"

"Eleven."

Teddy swallowed.

"Yes, sir"

Victoire groaned.

"Dad, seriously, I'm eighteen and you've known Teddy since forever. You can stop playing the strict father."

Bill squinted his eyes at the boy in front of him one last time, before he gave in.

"Midnight. That's my last word."

Teddy nodded quickly.

"Yes, of course. You can trust me."

Bill huffed and turned to leave, after he gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful."

Victoire grinned and left the house quickly.

"Thank you, Uncle Bill!" Teddy exclaimed after Bill had long disappeared.

Victoire rolled her eyes and pulled Teddy away from the house and towards his car.

"Stop sucking up to him."

Teddy looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't want your dad to hate me"

Victoire laughed loudly.

"He doesn't hate you, he's just-"

"He does hate me, didn't you see his face?"

"He's just protective of his sweet little princess."

Teddy poked her in the side and pushed her in his car, before getting in the driver's seat, his girlfriend still laughing.

The restaurant they had eaten in was one of their favourite places to go to. It was also the place where they had their first date. Victoire smiled at the memory, how nervous Teddy had been that day; he had managed to spill two drinks in a row. The boy next to her in the car now was the same boy as he was three years ago, but somehow he was an entirely different person at the same time.

"So, how does it feel to be close to graduation?"

Victoire's smile grew wider and she leaned forward in the passenger seat.

"Awesome, I don't know why you were so sad to leave. I can't wait to get out of this place."

Teddy looked amused, and he held her hand when she leant close, his long fingers entangled in hers.

"I was sad to go because I was leaving you behind, silly."

"Aw, didn't know you were such a romantic", she teased, but she could feel her cheeks getting warmer, as they always did when he complimented her.

"I can't wait until we go to uni, and I'm sure you can't wait to quit your stupid job."

Teddy let out a cheery laugh.

"Harry and I both I think. He's still upset that I postponed university for a year."

Victoire still felt guilty about that; she knew Harry and Teddy had gotten into a huge fight about him waiting for her to finish her A levels as well. He had made Teddy apply to universities right after graduating last year, and when Teddy hadn't accepted the spots they had offered him, he had been extremely disappointed. And Victoire knew how much Teddy valued the opinion of his godfather. Growing up with no parents, his grandmother and godfather instead, he used to put everything they said on the scale; always giving his best to make them proud. And when Harry had wanted him to start university immediately, she had expected Teddy to do so. But he hadn't. She had explained that she would be alright with him leaving a year earlier than her, but the sweet guy he was, he had told her that he'd rather wait for her, so they could start the school they had both chosen, together. Dominique had once laughed and said that Teddy would wait for her until the last day of the world anyway. And maybe that was true, but so would she. They just fit. If he was the fire, she was the girl waiting to be burned alive. If she was the ocean, he was the boy waiting to drown.

"I don't care about that, you know that right? I know I made the right choice to wait for you."

His face looked more serious now, and Victoire felt more relaxed. She nodded slowly, a small smile on the edge of her lips, glad he knew exactly what to say. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips on his. They sat their for a moment; the moon illuminating them through the windshield; and Kate Nash singing silently in the background.

"That's my favourite song.", she whispered when they parted.

"I know", he answered tenderly.

_"All I know is that you're the nicest thing I've seen."_, she sang quietly, his hand still in hers, playing with his fingers under the moonlight. _"I wish we could see if we could be something."_

When Teddy knocked on the door at Grimmauld Place Number 12 the next day, he didn't need to wait more than 10 seconds before the door was opened by a little red haired girl.

"Teddy!", she exclaimed happily and jumped in his arms.

He laughed cheerfully and needed to make a few steps back to hold the girl in place. She put her arms around his neck and he pressed a small kiss on her red hair. "Hi, Lily."

He put her down carefully, before entering his godfather's house with her.

"Am I late?", he asked after hearing the loud noises from the dining room at the back of the house, but Lily just shook her head.

"No, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron just arrived a few minutes earlier than you. Rosie and Hugo are upstairs with James and Al though, so we'll have to get them down soon. Dad said lunch is almost ready."

She was babbling and Teddy couldn't help but laugh at how excited she seemed to be.

"How about you get them to come down now, and I go and say hi?", he offered and Lily seemed to contemplating that for a moment, before she nodded and disappeared up the stairs.

He was still smiling when he entered the dining room, where his godfather was standing next to Ron and Hermione. Ginny appeared next in the room, just emerging from the kitchen, the apron still on. She smiled when she spotted him first.

"Teddy, hi!"

The other three adults in the room turned around and broke out into welcoming smiles as well.

He greeted them all and sat down on the chair Harry had offered him.

"Didn't your grandmother make it?", Harry asked him.

Teddy shook his head, grinning.

"No, she's with her sister right now. She invited us to brunch or something."

"And you'd rather be here?", Ron asked, sarcasm grinning from his words.

"Imagine that.", Teddy answered laughing.

In that moment Lily came into the room, Al; James; Rose and Hugo in tow, demanding they had to eat now, since everybody was here.

"Thanks for the invitation.", Teddy told his godfather two hours later. They were standing in the hall alone, the rest of the family still in the dining hall. Teddy had told them that he wanted to pick his grandmother up from the Malfoy's house, so that she didn't have to walk all the way home; therefore he had to leave already.

Harry stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"You know you're always welcome here."

Teddy smiled thankfully, knowing he really meant it, too.

"So, Victoire is finishing school soon, right?"

Teddy sighed inside, knowing where this conversation was headed. Not wanting to ruin the mood right away, he just nodded and answered the question.

"Yeah, she's getting her results in August."

Harry nodded thoughtfully.

"And then you're both applying for university, right? Assuming she passes."

Teddy rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and she will pass."

"You don't know that yet."

Teddy groaned, slightly annoyed.

"I do. She's smart. Smarter than me, even. She'll pass, and then we'll both apply in Bath, like I told you."

"I still think you should have started last year, Teddy. I don't have anything against Victoire, you know that. But would it have hurt if you had started earlier?"

Teddy shook his head, starting to walk towards the door already.

"I don't think I want to have this conversation again, Uncle Harry."

Harry followed him to the door, holding his arm.

"Teddy, you know I don't want to fight with you. But you know what I think about education."

Teddy laughed, but it sounded bitter. He shrugged Harry's hand off and opened the door, entering the porch, Harry close behind him.

"I know. 'Education is the most important thing in your life right now, Teddy.' You told me that a hundred times already, I get it. It's not like I'm telling you I don't want to study. I do, I just waited a year longer."

"Yes, but you worked in a restaurant as a waiter in the meantime. How is that gonna look in your CV. The best universities prefer people fresh out of college, you know that. And you know how much your father struggled-"

Teddy was speeding off the stairs now making his way to the street. He stopped and turned around, his face now obviously angry.

"Oh my god, we're not doing this again! I know that, yes! My father had almost nothing, yet he still gave up everything to go to university. And he was one of the bravest people you knew, blah blah. I don't care."

He was shouting now; something he rarely did. Harry, surprised from this outburst, still stood on the porch, slowly making his way down and standing a few meters away from his godson.

"You know what, Uncle Harry, I'm gonna go now. I don't want to talk about it anymore, so why don't you just-"

The next thing Teddy was about to say, Harry didn't hear. He stared at the spot where his godson had been standing a second ago; frozen in movement.

The loud thump of a body landing and the squealing tires were the only sounds that could be heard. A person getting out of a car; a door slamming; a man gasping, running around, speaking in his phone.

Harry was still staring; what had happened? Teddy had been shouting, he was making his way to the other way of the street where his car was standing, he had been facing him; walking backwards, and then he had turned around and -

Harry should have seen the car coming. He had been facing the street, after all.

"Hey! Hey!"

The man's loud shouts got Harry out of his trance, and he started to run towards the car.

"T-teddy, oh god!"

There he way, laying on the ground, his arms and legs twisted in an unnatural way, his eyes open wide. There was blood all over his arms and face; he must have hit his head on the windshield, Harry thought.

He knelt down next to his godson; or did he fall down? He didn't know, his knees were shaking so bad.

"He came out of nowhere, I swear. Oh my god. I called an ambulance, but…"

The man was still rambling next to him, but Harry didn't listen.

"Teddy, hey. Teddy."

He looked down at the boy lying beneath him; eyes wide with shock, not moving.

"Oh god." Harry didn't feel good, this wasn't supposed to happen, why did this happen, this had to be a dream, and _oh my god._

"Teddy."

Teddy's brown eyes were still wide, and he was blinking fast, staring at Harry, obviously scared.

"Hey, hey, look, you're…you're going to be fine. Teddy-"

Harry thought he heard Ron shouting something at Hermione about the children, and Ginny screaming, but his focus was still on the boy lying in his own pool of blood.

He was still blinking rapidly, and looked as if he wanted to say something and then- nothing.

He heard footsteps approaching behind him, and then Ron cursing, but he just stared at the unmoving body under him. The eyes that were still moving a second ago now staring empty in the air.

"This isn't happening.", Harry muttered. "This isn't happening, oh my god. This isn't happening."

**Author's Note: Triggers for this story: Character Death, Grief, Car Accidents.**


	2. Chapter 2

Today had been a nice day, Bill decided. He got home from work earlier than usual; his boss had actually smiled at him today; and Fleur was making his favourite food.

Sitting happily on the couch, he hummed a cheery tune and turned off the TV when his wife informed him that dinner was ready.

Bill was just about to call his children downstairs for dinner when the his mobile phone rang.

"Hello", he answered happily, seeing as the Caller ID said it was Ginny calling.

He frowned immediately when his sister did not answer, and he was met with a shaky breathing instead. "Ginny?"

After what seemed like ages, his sister's voice came through. "Bill? Are you home?", she asked him quietly; her voice unusually sad, forced and just so, so not Ginny. He could detect the strain in her voice and was sensing, that she was trying desperately to stay calm. "Yes, I'm home. Ginny, what's wrong." He was starting to panic himself, the good mood from earlier suddenly gone. Getting up, he started to pace through the living room; the last sun rays of the day shining through the window and seeming very out of place now.

"Is Victoire with you? Is she home?"

"Ginny, what happened?", he asked, more forcefully, his voice growing louder with each word, worry taking over. Something was clearly wrong, and he didn't know what. Bill felt claustrophobic suddenly, his sister was obviously on the edge of crying, and she wouldn't tell him what was wrong, when it was obvious something was. Something bad had happened, he was sure.  
"Ginny, talk to me! What happened?"  
He registered that Fleur had appeared in the doorway, worry spread all over her face.

"Ginny!", he shouted one last time.

Finally his sister answered.

"Teddy is dead.", she said quietly.

Bill stopped pacing around the room and came to a halt.

"What?"

"Teddy is dead. He was hit by a car and died a few hours ago."

Teddy is dead. Teddy is dead. Teddy is dead.

The words rang in his head over and over again.

He is dead. He died a few hours ago. Is Victoire home. Teddy is dead. He died a few hours ago. Is Victoire home.

Bill stood where he was and let the words sink in.

No more late night visits from his daughters boyfriend, no more sheepish apologies from the young boy he used to play chess against. No more staring contests against the lanky teenager he grew so fond of, no more late night talks with the son of the man he used to admire. No more Teddy.

Where worry was a few moments ago, was now sudden sadness, disbelief, shock.

He was still staring at the same spot when he heard Ginny's voice again.

"You need to tell your family. I can't…" He heard his sister breaking into sobs which she had obviously holding back the whole time. Tears started to prickle in his eyes, so he quickly blinked a few times to stop them from falling.

You need to tell your family. You need to tell your family. Oh god, Victoire.

He closed his eyes and swallowed the big lump in his throat. _Oh, god._

"Bill, did you hear me?", Ginny asked, now manifestly in tears.

"Yes, yes. Oh god, Ginny. What.." He searched for the right words, but found none.

What did you say in a situation like this?

"I know" Ginny said. "I'll call you later. I…" She didn't finish her sentence, but hung up instead.

Bill stood there for a few more seconds, until Fleur appeared in front of him. How long had she been standing there? He couldn't tell.

"Bill!"

Had she been calling his name more than once?

"Bill, what's wrong? What happened, you look as if you've seen a ghost. What did Ginny say?"

She was staring at him, worry clearly in her eyes.

He looked his wife in the eyes, as she put his phone down and let it fall on the couch behind him.

"Teddy. He died."

Fleur gasped loudly and put her hands over her mouth.

She stared at him with wide eyes, and he could see that she was already close to crying. He didn't care, as he knew, that worse was still to come; he needed to get this out.

"He was hit by a car a few hours ago."

How horrible that sounded. How horrible the truth was. How could someone deserve something like this? Why would a nineteen year old boy be ripped out of his life. Just like that.

Fleur was openly crying right now.

"Oh my god. Bill.."

She put her arms around her husband and leaned her head on his chest. He quietly stroked her back, and held back tears of his own. But he couldn't cry. Not yet. Not when he still had to tell his children. Not when he still had to tell Victoire.

Fleur seemed to have the same thought, as she suddenly jumped back and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Victoire. She doesn't know, oh my god." She was crying still. "My poor baby. Oh my god."

"I'll tell her. You tell Louis and Dominique.", he told her, before he made his way to the staircase.

Fleur followed after him, as he climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. She knocked on their son's door, while he passed his younger children's rooms to stand in front of his eldest daughter's room.

Bill knocked quietly and pushed the door open, as his daughter invited him in with a friendly "Come in.". He entered her room and found her sitting on her bed.

She was smiling. Oh, dear god. Bill suddenly wished to do anything but this. This would destroy her world, he knew that as well as his own name. She would completely break down. He took a deep breath and sat next to her anyway.

"What's wrong, Dad?" She turned down her music and shut the laptop, as she saw the look on his face.

"Victoire, honey", he began and hoped his voice sounded stronger than he felt. "Something happened."

Victoire stared at him, looking for clues in his faces as to what exactly had happened. She looked confused, but worry spread out on her face as she realized that it must be something serious.

"What happened?"

"Your Aunt Ginny called me…Teddy…He, he had an accident."

He could see his daughters eyes widen as soon as he said it. She sat up straighter, her hands already reaching for her phone, clearly with the intention to call her late boyfriend.

Bill grabbed his daughter's hands and held them where they were.

"Vic…"

"I need to call him, is he alright? What happened?" She grew impatient with him as he didn't answer her questions. "Dad!"

"Victoire, he didn't make it. He's dead."

Victoire's frantic movements stopped as soon as he said it. She stared at her father with empty eyes and slowly pulled her hands back.

Bill swallowed, she was showing no reaction.

As he was about to say something else, Victoire shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

"You're lying."

She grabbed her phone and began scrolling through her contacts, until she found the one she was looking for.

Bill's heart fell. This was worse than he could have ever imagined.

"Victoire, I'm not lying. He's…"

"You're lying. Stop it, it's not funny.", she shouted and stood up from where she was sitting.

She had the phone pressed to her ear and was obviously waiting for him to pick up.

He will never pick up the phone again, Bill thought bitterly.

"It's his voice mail. He must have forgotten to charge his phone. He does that often." She was laughing quietly. "I'll just call his grandmother. Maybe he's home already."

Bill stood up and approached his daughter carefully. She was looking for another contact already, obviously Andromeda.

Bill put his hands on her arms again, trying to stop her from calling another person.

"Victoire, Victoire, look at me."

"Stop that!", she was screaming now. "What are you doing? I need to talk to him! Maybe he's hurt!"

She was close to tears, he could see that. He could always see that. Even when she was little and had hurt herself while playing outside and trying not to show that she had. He could always see when she was about to cry, and he would always be able to. Seeing his oldest daughter like this made his heart ache.

"Victoire, he's gone. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Victoire took a few steps back and shook her head; the phone had fallen from her hands, which were shaking like crazy. "No, he's not. You're lying." She was only whispering now, as if she was trying to convince herself that she was right, and her father was indeed lying. Maybe she thought if she kept telling herself that he was, he would break out into a huge smile and confirm, that yes, he was lying and it was all a big, horrible joke. And maybe Teddy would enter the room after that, and tell her in his stupid mocking voice, that they had tricked her, and that she was so gullible, because how could she have fallen for that? Because Teddy was not dead. He couldn't be. They had just talked to each other this morning. They had planned to see each other this evening. He was supposed to pick her up in a few hours. He had even bought the tickets for that stupid new superhero movie he wanted to see so bad. He hadn't stopped talking about it for days, until she had finally given in to see it with him (of course she did, she always did). People didn't just die like that.

Except they did.

Bill embraced her face with his face and she tore her eyes away from the empty spot in the room and looked at her father. He didn't say anything, he just pulled his daughter close to him and put his arms around her. Victoire went still in his arms for a few seconds, but then she suck in a sharp breath and it didn't take long before she struggled to get out of the embrace.  
"No, no!", she tried to get away, but Bill was stronger than her and held her closer.  
"I'm sorry, Vic, I'm so sorry.", he kept telling her as she was crying in her fathers arms, sobbing loudly; trying to get away from this horrible truth.

The funeral was held three days later. It was a sunny day and more than 50 people were standing around the grave of forever nineteen year old Teddy Lupin. The grave was next to both of his parents, next to a big tree whose leaves had just turned green again. All in all, it was a nice spot. That's what the undertaker had said. A nice spot. James found this place rather depressing than nice. His gaze wandered over the people who attended the funeral. Most of them were his family. Teddy's family. All of the Weasleys and Potters were standing next to each other. Amongst them was Andromeda, her face tear streamed, as she was still crying. Percy and Charlie were supporting here from both sides, as she could not stand on her own. James quickly averted his eyes. On the other side were people Teddy's age, obviously his friends from school. He did not recognize all of them, but could spot a few familiar faces, people he had seen with his godbrother a few times. The Longbottoms were standing in the back, next to the Scamanders. Even Scorpius Malfoy had attended, with his parents and grandmother in tow.

James looked at the ground, sadness taking over again. This was not a nice spot, this was probably the saddest spot he had ever seen. He wished it was over, and he did not have to listen to Victoire's sobs anymore. Just looking at her hurt. Even more than looking at his own father. His dad had not said much since that day, he looked miserable, rarely ate and barely came out of his own room. This was a horrible place to be. James had never lost a person close to him before, and he didn't know how to deal with it. How could you deal with the fact, that a person you loved so dearly, who spent most of his time at your house, playing with you, talking with you, teasing you, loving you, would never ever come back again? That you would never hear his voice again, see his face again, talk about girls again, share your secrets that you didn't tell anybody else again? James felt how a few more tears falling down his cheeks, but quickly wept them away. This was not a nice spot, he decided. This was not even close.

That night, in Grimmauld Place Number 12 a little red haired girl of only eight years was kneeling in front of her bed, her hands folded neatly on her duvet and her eyes closed.

She was praying, something she had not done in a long time.

"Dear God, I know I haven't talked to you in a while., and I'm really, really sorry about that. But sometimes I'm so tired I just forget to. But I promise I will pray every night to you, if you just bring Teddy back. I will never complain to Dad about James and Al again; I'll help Mum with the dishes and…and I won't talk back to Ms. Jackson anymore. I promise I'll be good, I swear. Just bring Teddy back. He hasn't done anything bad in his life, and shouting at James because he tried to climb on the roof doesn't count, because Daddy said he could have really hurt himself. But Teddy was always nice to everyone! I promise I'll be good if you just bring him back."

Tears were streaming down her small face and she was sobbing so hard you could not understand half the things she was saying.

"I promise I'll be good."

Ginny had entered her daughter's room when she had heard her Youngest crying when she was really supposed to be in bed.

"Lily."

The girl opened her wet eyes and looked up to see her mother standing over her. She knelt down next to her daughter and stroked her long hair. "What are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm praying, Mum", she explained sniffing. "Maybe if I promise to be better, God will bring Teddy back."

Ginny smiled sadly and pulled her on her lap.

"It doesn't work that way, honey."

"Why not?"

The woman pressed a kiss on her hair that resembled so much her own.

"Because Teddy is already gone, Lily. He's with his parents now. I told you that."

"But couldn't his parents waited a little longer? Did God take him because I wasn't good enough?"

Ginny shook her head quickly.

"No, no, no, no, Lily. Look at me. Some things just happen. Things nobody could have seen coming. You're a good girl, Lily. This is nobody's fault."

She kissed her daughter's head one more time.

"Let's go to bed, okay? I'll stay with you tonight."

Meanwhile Al was sitting on his own bed, the dark green hoodie on his lap. He had told him a hundred times that he had forgotten it in his room; that he shouldn't accuse Al of stealing his stuff when he really knew he had left it there.

He smiled at the memory where his godbrother had messed up his already messy hair and told him if he liked that hoodie so much he could have just told him so.

He had reminded him so often to take that hoodie back. And now he never would.

Al pulled the hoodie over his head and went to sleep, the smell of his dead brother with him the whole night.

Harry Potter had lost a lot of people in his life.

First he had lost his parents when he was barely one year old; the memory of the people who had brought him to this world long gone.

After spending ten years of his life with people who truly despised him he got to live with his godfather, who finally got custody of him, only to leave his life five years later. The laugh of the man who loved him like his own son; the strong pat on the back he would always give him he could still remember like it was yesterday.

He had lost his mentor, who had taught him so much and nothing; his favourite teacher, who reminded him so much of Sirius and yet not at all, whose son would be like his own; his friend, who had made him laugh like nobody before and so many more people who had made an impact in his life.

But losing all those people had never felt like this.

He couldn't even put it in words, he hurt everywhere and felt numb at the same time.

He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he kept seeing him. He kept hearing the last words he had said to him. His own godson had died arguing with him.  
Harry kept reliving the moment over and over again. It was a matter of seconds; if they had been standing on the porch only a second longer; if he could have kept him inside just one more moment, Teddy would be alive and well.

Maybe he wold be with them right now. Or he would be with his girlfriend or his grandmother.

He wouldn't be buried six feet under the ground with only nineteen years old.  
But he was. And it was all Harry's fault.

The house was quiet. Fleur was with Victoire in her room and Dominique and Louis had gone straight to their rooms after they had come home from the funeral.

Bill sat on the couch for a minute longer, before he turned off the TV. It wasn't like he had been watching the program anyway. He got up and made his way to the staircase to go to his own room.

Right before he made the first step he stopped, his gaze landing on something on the cupboard next to him. He stood there for a moment, his look fixed on the same spot as it had been a few weeks earlier. Slowly he made his way to the cupboard and took the picture frame from behind his wedding picture with Fleur. He had just put it there to the back behind the other pictures a few weeks ago. Had it been only a few weeks?

The picture in the frame had been taken eight years ago, maybe nine. It had been summer and the whole family had been at the Burrow to one of the famous Family Dinners in the garden.

In this picture, Bill was sitting cross-legged on the old wooden bench and across from him was young Teddy, sitting in the exact same position. Both of them were in the middle of a staring contest, deeply looking each other in the eyes. It was a game both of them used to play often when Teddy had been younger; the first one to look away losing.

Bill still remembered the day, how Hermione had taken the photo and how happy Teddy had been after winning the contest for the very first time against him. He had patted him on the back lovingly and went out with him and Victoire for ice cream the day after that to celebrate.

Bill didn't realize he was crying until he tasted the tear on his lips.

With shaky hands he placed the picture in front of the others, stroking the glass over the small figure across his younger self, before he went upstairs to his room.

Victoire just wanted to be left alone. She didn't want to speak to her brother, her sister or her mother. She didn't want to speak at all, why didn't they understand that?

The girl pulled the blanket even higher so it covered almost her whole face. Realizing Victoire wasn't going to talk, her mother left silently the room.

Shutting her eyes tighter, she pressed herself deeper into her pillows.

Sleep was all she needed. Sleep and silence. Sleep and silence and Teddy.

She needed him. She needed him more than anything right now, and he wasn't here.

_He'll never be here again._

The room was silent for a few moments, only her iPod playing in the background. She had tuned it out as she had been in thoughts. But now she could hear which song was on. Tears started to fill her eyes again.

"_All I know is that you're the nicest thing I've ever seen._", she sang along quietly, remembering the last time they were in his car, when she had lied in his arms and listened to this song with him.

That had been the last time she had seen him, and she couldn't even remember what the last words were that she had said to him. Had it been_ I love you_? _Goodnight_? She couldn't remember. Why couldn't she remember? She shut her eyes, listening to the song one more time, and after that again, until the battery died. She let the iPod fall from her hands to the floor, the memory of last night already fading.

She cried until she couldn't cry any longer, and then a little more.

_I'm never going to be happy again._


	3. Chapter 3

"I haven't been in his room since then, so I'm not sure what state it's in. You know how messy he was." Andromeda laughed quietly; it was a sad, and tired laugh and felt out of place. Victoire only nodded and followed the elder woman to the room at the end of the hallway.

"Take as long as you need.", she said and then she was gone. 

Victoire stared after her for a while. For the first time in her life she really looked her age, she noticed. Her hair wasn't made in the neat bun as usual; and her usually shiny eyes looked tired and empty. But Victoire did not have the strength to say encouraging words.

So she turned around to the door in front of her again. Taking one last breath, she pushed the door open and entered Teddy's room. Immediately, she was overwhelmed with his smell she had missed in the past weeks so much.

She closed her eyes and inhaled for a few moments, before she calmed herself down again. With small steps she made her way to the middle of the room and looked around. The bed was surprisingly made, there were only a few clothes thrown onto his duvet. The rest of the room was the same as she had seen it the last time. The pile of books on the floor next to his bed; the leather jacket he loved so much was thrown on over the chair in front of his desk. On the desk were his university applications, ready to be sent just like hers. She swallowed the big lump that was starting to form in her throat. He would never go to university now.

The two small papers next to the applications caught her attention. She picked them up and looked at them carefully. A mall sad smile appeared as she realized what they were. Tickets for Captain America 3. Dated for April 23rd. The film they never got to see together.

She put the tickets in her pocket and then threw the leather jacket over her arm, before she made her way to his closet. She didn't need to look long before she found what she was searching for.

She grabbed his favourite dark blue hoodie with the Marvel Superheroes on the front. She had always complained about him wearing it too often, but he had only shown her his sheepish smile and said it was his favourite. She buried her face in it for a moment, before she smiled. It still smelled like him.

Putting the hoodie over the leather jacket, she gave the room one last look, before she exited it, leaving only the fading smell and a ton of memories behind.

Molly Weasley loved cooking. But more than cooking she loved to invite people to share her cooked things with. One of her known traditions among the family were the family dinners at The Burrow. Every friday she invited her whole family to her house, that included her own children, their partners, their children and people she considered family. That tradition was going on for years now, since Bill and Charlie had moved out. So every friday she invited her family over; the number of people growing with each year. But she didn't care; she had enough time to make dinner, and she had enough plates for everybody.

One particular friday evening, she stood in front of the stove, stirring the soup. It had been weeks since the last dinner; but regarding the events that happened, that was no surprise. Nobody had felt like a family reunion, and Molly hadn't felt like cooking for that many people. But 5 weeks had passed, and Molly thought that everybody could use a distraction, a family meeting with people you loved and cared about, who could give comfort. So she had called everybody, and they had thankfully accepted the invitation, including Bill, who had promised to bring Victoire, no matter what, and Andromeda, who had first politely declined the offer, saying she wasn't ready to go out yet. Molly couldn't really blame her; she was staying in that house all by herself, no matter how often she had offered to stay with her, but she couldn't let the poor woman deal with all that grief by herself, so she had called again and told her it would mean the world to her if she came, and after many moments of hesitation and talking back and forth, she had finally given in and accepted the offer.

With a sigh, Molly turned off the stove, and moved over to the cupboard at the other side of the kitchen. She opened the door where she stored the plates she specifically put aside for the family dinners and reached out to get a hold of the big pile to set the table.

She went to the wooden table and put the plates down; carefully setting one plate for every chair, and then moving to the couch table to put the rest of them there, as the children usually ate there. When every plate was put down, she made a move to go to the kitchen again and bring the silverware, but she halted as she realized her mistake. With trembling hands, she removed one plate. She wouldn't need that one anymore.

Ginny awoke from the distressed movements next to her. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the darkness and then looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her bed.  
It was only 3:12 am. She sat up anyway and turned on the small lamp next to the clock, looking down on her sweating husband, who was obviously having a nightmare. He was still having those almost every night, though they were not as severe as a few weeks ago, when he could hardly sleep without waking up screaming. It would not help waking him now, he would be disorientated and maybe be more stressed than usually. If she would let him sleep through it now, maybe he wouldn't even remember having one in the first place.

She was worried about Harry, and she had told him so. Time was all he needed, he told her. But she begged to differ, he wasn't himself anymore. He barely ate with them, he slept less and looked like death most of the time. She couldn't blame him though. She had looked the same in the first two weeks. But looking at their children, she realized she had to be the strong one in the family. Someone needed to be there for the children; and for Harry, too. She needed to cook; to make sure everyone went to school and work; that Harry showered regularly. One day she had offered Harry to seek professional help, but he had quickly shut her down, and so she hadn't brought it up again. Looking down at his distressed face she wondered if she should. He had told her about the nightmares he had. In most of them he just replayed the accident, the same scene over and over again, always with him not being able to do something. In some of them Teddy was angry with him, screaming at him saying it was his fault he was dead. And sometimes he even saw Remus telling him how disappointed he was in him, and if that was how he took care of his son.

Ginny couldn't imagine how horrible that must be for him, knowing how sensitive he really was, even if he didn't admit it that often.

She winced as she thought back to that day. They had just finished lunch and had said goodbye to Teddy, Harry had brought him to the door. The next thing she heard was the shouting of a strange man, and Ron and she had run to the front door as she realized both Harry and Teddy weren't in the house anymore. Then she had saw Harry, running towards a unmoving body in front of a car, and she knew exactly what had happened. She remembered hearing a loud scream, only to realize it was herself. She remembered Ron telling Hermione to bring the children upstairs immediately, and to keep them away from the windows at all cost; before he ran to Harry.

It had been the worst day of her life, with no doubt. After seeing Teddy grow up, raising him with Harry and Andromeda since he was a baby, feeding him, having him over more than often, treating him like her own son; and then to lose him. It was like someone had ripped a part of her heart out, and she knew that her heart was never going to be whole again.

She watched Harry for a few more minutes, and when he seemed to be calmer again, she lay down next to him again. She turned off the light and snuggled behind her husband, hoping he would sleep peacefully for the rest of the night. She knew they all still had a long way to go.


	4. Chapter 4

„What can I get you two ladies?"

Dominique tried to hid her smile while the barista behind the counter tried not to stare too hard.

„I'll take a vanilla latte, please. And you, Vic?"

Victoire shrugged while studying the Café's card at the wall slowly, before deciding to go with her sister's decision. 

„I'll take the same."

The boy with the name tag that read ‚STEVEN' nodded cheerfully.

„Coming right up. Why don't you sit down already, I'll bring your drinks to you."

The girls nodded and sat down on a small table behind some plants. 

„I didn't even know there was a Café here.", Victoire commented, looking around the shop. It was a small place, hidden behind the mall.

Dominique grinned. „I figured. Not many people come here, that's why I like it so much."

Victoire hummed and wanted to say something else, when Steven arrived with their drinks.  
He put the two cups carefully on the table and pushed one of them in front of Dominique, and the other one in front of her sister.

„Sweet.", Victoire commented on the heart made out of cocoa powder on her drink. Steven just shrugged, and if he was blushing, he didn't make it that obvious.

„So, I have seen you around here a lot", he said, looking at Dominique. „But I would have remembered you, if I had met you before." His gaze fell on the blonde girl across from Dominique.

„It's the first time I come here", Victoire admitted, an amused smile on her face. „That's why you've never seen me, I'd say."

Steven rested his arm on the back of her chair and tilted his head to the side.

„And, do you like it?"

Dominique watched the exchange with a small smile on her lips, her sister was looking up to the guy and nodded.

„So far I like it, yes."

The dark haired barista nodded satisfied and shift from one foot to another.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud melody and vibration. Victoire made an apologizing face and grabbed her phone out of her bag. „Sorry, I gotta take this."

She looked at the display and raised her eyebrows, before answering the call.

„Hello?…Yes, this is she."

Dominique watched her sister listening carefully to the person on the other line; her face becoming happier with each word spoken apparently. 

„Really? Thank you! Thank you so much."

She was ecstatic when she put her phone down and her blue eyes were shining with joy.

„That was the admission officer from the University in Bath! I got in! Oh my god, I got in!", she announced cheerfully. 

Dominique's eyes widened and she let out an amazed laugh. „Oh my god, Vic, that's amazing! Congratulations!"

She knew how much Victoire wanted to get into that university, she had had her applications ready since January. And now, only a month after she graduated, she was accepted.

Victoire was still smiling when she grabbed her phone again.  
„Oh my god, I have to tell Teddy."

She was pressing a few buttons, before she held the phone to her ear, obviously awaiting an answer, missing the shocked look her sister was giving her.

Only when the woman on the line told her the number she had called was not available, her expression changed.

Dropping the phone, Victoire gasped and put her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and starting to fill with tears. She pushed her chair back and got quickly up, before she fled the cafe.

Steven, who was still standing at their table, stared after her, obviously very confused. „What just happened?"

Dominique just shook her head and opened her mouth to explain, but decided against it. She pulled out a bill from her purse and put it on the table.

„I'm really sorry.", she said with a small smile and quickly followed her sister out of the building.

It didn't take long before she found her, as she had apparently only made it around the corner before breaking down. She was leaning against the wall, her face red and tear streamed. She had her eyes closed, but there were still tears coming out of her eye lids. Dominique approached her sister with slow steps and put her hand on her shoulder.

„Hey", she said soothingly as she stood next to her. The elder girl was sobbing silently. „Vic, hey." Dom brushed some of her sister's blonde hair from her face. „It's alright, Vic."

But Victoire's sobs only grew louder and suddenly she fell into her younger sister's arms and buried her face in her shoulder. Dominique quickly put her arms around her sister, glad to be able to comfort her in a situation like this. It hurt to see that her, her strong, proud, older sister, was still hurting that much. It had been five months since Teddy had died, and she had still not found closure. A part of Dominique wondered if she ever would. A big lump formed in her throat and the tears started to prickle in her own eyes. Quickly pulling herself together, she stroked her sister's back and kissed her light hair.

„Shh, shh.", she murmured. „It's going to be fine, I promise. You're going to be fine. I'm here for you." A single tear made it's way down her right cheek as Dominique continued to hold her older sister in her arms.

Harry could hear Ginny calling him down for dinner, but pretended he didn't. He didn't feel like eating right now. Ginny would understand, she always did, even when he didn't deserve it.

Sighing, he lied back down on the bad, facing the ceiling again. He heard his three children running down the stairs, and then chairs being pushed back. Ginny knew he wasn't going to come down tonight, not after the nightmare he had last night. It had been weeks since he had had the last one, and he had been fine since then. But now he felt like before, the guilt eating him alive. Like he could sleep for days without getting up. So he lay there, hearing his family enjoying dinner downstairs, plates moving, knives and forks rattling.

„Oh my god, get over yourself."

Harry sat up immediately, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open. Across from him, at the door stood Teddy, arms crossed.

„T-teddy?"

He looked like he always did, sandy brown hair falling into his eyes, wearing one of his plain sweaters.  
He made a few steps into the room and stood before his godfather. 

„What is it with you? You pretend like you're the one who's dead!"

Harry swallowed, still in shock after seeing someone who he thought he would never see again.

„How can you…what?"

Teddy shook his head and sat down next to the man. 

„Uncle Harry, why are you not downstairs? Aunt Ginny made dinner, you should be with your family. Why are you here?"

Harry's eyes started to fill with tears.  
„I…I can't…", he stated, reaching out a hand to touch the boy next to him. This couldn't be real, Teddy was dead. He had been for five months now. So why could he touch his cheek now? Feel the warmth in them?

„This is a dream, Uncle Harry.", Teddy said.

„I know", he answered without removing his hand. „I don't care."

Teddy smiled one of his famous half-smiles that Lily had always adored so much.

„You need to stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over."

Harry shook his head and removed his hand, as it started to shake now.

„But I did, didn't I? If I hadn't brought up the topic, we wouldn't have fought and-"

„If, would, could? You can't know for sure, maybe I would have gotten hit by the car anyway? I'm the one who ran on the street without looking first! Not you."

„But maybe-"

Teddy cut him off again, this time more stern.

„No! Look, I know I didn't say it often, but you know how much I loved you guys, right. Especially you." He smiled gratefully. „You were like the father I never could have. And I'm more than thankful for that."

Harry let out a sob.

„I miss you."

Teddy looked at him with sad eyes. 

„I know. I do, too. But they're still with you. And they need you more than I do now."

Harry wiped away his tears and nodded.  
„I know, I just-" 

„It's okay. They know. But you have to be yourself again. Start taking care of them, and yourself too."  
Harry took a deep breath, before he finally said what he always wanted to say since that day.

„I'm so sorry."

Teddy laughed quietly.

„I know, but like I said. It's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Go downstairs. Have dinner. And eat a portion for me too, will you?"

Harry just laughed before he felt himself being shaken.

„Daddy!"

Green eyes fluttered open.

„Daddy, dinner is ready!"

Lily was standing over him, a small smile on her thin lips. 

Harry sat up and nodded.

„Alright, sweetie, I'll be right downstairs. Go ahead."

Lily grinned and did as she was told, while Harry stood up; slowly looking around the room, but finding nothing that indicated that somebody had been in here while he

was asleep.

Smiling satisfied, and feeling more peaceful than he had in months, he followed his daughter out the room and joined his family at dinner.


	5. Epilogue

„Uncle Harry, walk with me?"

Victoire was smiling from the doorway and Harry nodded after a few seconds of just staring at her face, wondering what she could possibly want to talk to him about. He quickly excused himself and then went after his niece.

They walked silently the small pathway from the Burrow leading to a big field. He enjoyed the comfortable silence the two of them shared while walking slowly. The atmosphere at the dinner had been nice, it had been long since everybody had attended their Family Dinner, so it was especially good for Molly to have her whole family under one roof. Charlie had come home from Romania, and Victoire was currently staying with her family for a few weeks after she had left for college last year. Even Andromeda had started to come to the Burrow more often now. It was good, why wouldn't it be. It had been two years since Teddy died. They still thought about him, some more than others, but their lives went on, like they should. Harry didn't feel like it was his fault anymore; at least not entirely. It had been an accident after all. But he still missed him crazy and couldn't help but feel angry on some days that he couldn't have spent more time with him.

But life was okay. It was good.

Victoire came to a halt and leaned on a wooden fence. Harry stopped next to her and followed her gaze. They had come to the playground most of the children played at. It was a rather old one, with only one swing and a short red slide whose color resembled more of a light pink by now. But it still looked nice, with the big field in the background and the sun setting down behind it.  
Victoire smiled at the sight.

„Teddy and I used to play here a lot. We always tried to both fit on the swing and end up falling down" She laughed at the memory and Harry joined her quietly. That sounded like them.

„You were trouble after all." He reminded her.

„Sometimes we would just run around the field and try to catch butterflies."

Her face grew more dreamy now. „He would always try to fool me into believing he had one in his hands. And I always believed him. I think I would have believed him everything."

Harry watched her for a second. She seemed lost in thought for a few moments before she continued, her gaze still fixed on the field in front of them; now in its beauty with the orange sun rays shining down on it.

„I come here sometimes. I tell myself if I waited long enough I'd see a small figure appear across the field, gradually becoming larger until I'd see it was Teddy. Jumping around, trying to catch butterflies. He'd smile, and maybe call my name." She paused for a moment. „I don't let my imagination go beyond that. I can't."

She turned around to look at her uncle now. Harry could see her eyes shining with tears, making her blue eyes appear even more beautiful under the sunset.

„I just remind myself that I was lucky to have him in my life at all."

She turned to look at the field again, her arms resting on the fence. Harry watched her for a few moments longer, a small smile forming on his lips as he saw Victoire smiling, too.

He leaned closer to her and turned to look at the field himself.  
They stood there until the sun set, watching the small boy on the field trying to catch butterflies.


End file.
